Priestess and assasin
by yellow 14
Summary: An old enemy forces two bitter enemies to work together. Can they succeed? Kill each other? Or even fall in love?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Calibur, Namco does. That's why its fanfiction

Chapter one: Old enemies.

A young phillipino girl paced about impatiently in the hallway. Talim wondered to herself what she had done this time to be summoned to see the mother superior of the order. Of course, she thought to herself, this wasn't the first time she'd been in front of Mother Sophitia. At fifteen, Talim was one of the most gifted fighters to join the Priesthood of the Winds in many years, but her unconventional methods, while frequently successful, often meant that she ended up in hot water. There were even people in the order who sought her expulsion from the priesthood. So no she most definitely was no stranger to this place.

The mother superior looked at the young, green haired girl standing opposite her desk and sighed.

"You're sure this information is correct?" she asked. "If you're wrong, then we will be most displeased."

"It is as I have said. I swear it by the raven's eye. The Birds of Passage desires in this case, are the same as yours."

"Very well then." Sophitia snapped. She didn't trust the Birds of Passage, but an oath by the raven's eye meant that this could be trusted. "Talim!"

Talim braced herself. The mother superiors tone sounded angry. Pushing the door open, Talim saw someone she knew far to well. Tira!" She exclaimed, "What are YOU doing here?"

"I'm afraid that's what Sophitia here is going to tell you, little one." Tira said in a singsong voice. Talim just scowled. Despite the fact that Tira was only two years older than her, she always referred to Talim as "little one".

"Sit down Talim. Tira is here because of an old, mutually exclusive enemy of ours is back." Sophitia paused "Knightmare has returned."

Talim felt her legs go weak. If she had not been sitting down she would surely have collapsed on the floor. "Kn-Kn-Knightmare? As in the monster that killed my parents? S-S-Surely not." But she already knew the answer.

"Yes Talim, that Knightmare. Tira has brought evidence of this with her." Sophitia gently looked at her. "Talim if you don't want to do this, I'll understand and assign someone else."

"No I'll do it." Talim replied "I'm too old to be scared of the bogeyman."

Sophitia smiled at her. "Good. You'll be travelling with Tira. She has agreed to a temporary truce until Knightmare is destroyed. I ask you to do the same."

Talim took a deep breath. She did not want to call a truce with a girl who had tried to kill her on so many occasions and had caused her to fail at the task assigned to her on more than one occasion. However needs must. "I, Talim swear by the four winds to form a temporary truce with Tira of the Birds of Passage until Knightmare is destroyed." She turned to face Tira. "Now where is your evidence?"

Tira opened a small leather bag and pulled out several small sword fragments. Each one was a piece of Soul Edge and they were vibrating.

AN: I've changed story of soul calibur a bit for the purposes of this story. Don't hate me for it please. As always read and review.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: See page 1

Chapter 2: Nightmares old and new.

Talim was standing in a swirling mist of purple-grey fog. She had had this nightmare before and she hates the fact that she is trapped in it until its end. She sees her parents through the smoke, dad a small phillipino man desperately pleading with the huge monster of steel to spare the lives of his family, his wife and daughter. The creature merely laughs at him and brings its terrible huge sword down on him, splitting his skull in two. Talim's mother screams and pulls out her elbow blades, determined to protect her daughter from this terrible monster.

Like Talim herself, she looks as though she couldn't hurt a fly. Like Talim however, looks are deceiving, as countless bandits who have tried to rob them before can testify. Knightmare however is no bandit and her mother knows that her chances against this monster are almost none existent.

"Run Talim!" she screams, but Talim's legs won't move. It's like her feet have become stuck to the ground. Her mother launches herself at Knightmare; perhaps hoping to get a lucky hit to kill this monster. But as Talim has seen so many times before, the creature deflects her blow almost effortlessly, before sweeping his sword across her legs. It's her mother's screams that are haunting her the most.

The creature raises it's sword and brings the sword down across her chest, causing her mother to scream even harder as Knightmare takes her soul. Then something different happens. Knightmare raises his visor to reveal the face of someone who should not be here. This isn't how she remembers this event. A girl with crazy green eyes, a scar across her face and wild green hair looks at her and grins, before bringing the sword down on her head and then darkness.

Tira looked at the young phillipino girl sleeping in the bed next to her. Two days travelling together had done little to improve their relationship. There was a grudging respect for one another's skills, but nothing more than that. Talim was whimpering in her sleep. Tira felt a burst of pity for her. She went over and hugged her, gently rocking her and making soothing noises in the way she had seen done to other children at the Birds Of Passage, when they had nightmares.

They were woken by the screaming of the tavern owner.

"Get out! Get out of here you filthy animals! I won't tolerate your kind here, go!"

Tira briefly considered killing the tavern owner, but that would draw attention they didn't need.

Talim on the other hand was angry and confused. She hated the fact that Tira had been holding her and that her perversions had gotten them thrown out, but also confused. How could something so wrong feel so right? Talim considered her boyfriend Yun-Seong and felt a warm flow of affection. He was in one she was in love with, so why was she feeling anything other than disgust for Tira's advances? And why was Tira in her nightmares? It just didn't make sense.

As always, read and review


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Calibur, Namco does.

AN: Sorry this has taken so long. It got a little stuck. And thank you anonymous reviewer.

It was around mid afternoon when they were ambushed. Almost a dozen Fu-Ma ninjas jumped out of hiding, knifes ready. Their leader was a tall man with brown eyes, the rest of his features hidden behind his mask.

"You seek Nightmare." The man stated aggressively.

"What business is it of yours?" Talim shot back. Tira raised an eyebrow at this unexpected aggressiveness from the quiet priestess. So she does have some fire in her after all she thought to herself. Good, she'll need it.

"We of the Fu-Ma ninja clan are sworn to protect the wielder of Soul Edge. Turn back or you will be begging for death before the end." Said their leader. But as he said that, one of the ninjas pulled out a throwing knife and threw it at Talim. Tira's ring blade spun in front of it and deflected it.

"Looks to me like you intend for us to die anyway" She said with a grin, her eyes alight with the fires of battle and with that she threw herself into battle, followed by Talim.

Talim felt a stab of regret about having to fight and kill. True, the Fu-Ma ninjas had attacked them and not the other way round, but still. To her right Tira cut down Fu-Ma ninja after Fu-Ma ninja with a savage kind of beauty. Talim was no slouch though and she to wielded her elbow blades too deadly effect.

As Tira and Talim finished off the Fu-Ma ninjas, a tall, dark-skinned man standing on the roof of a nearby building smiled to himself. "Those two show promise. Far more than all the others I've seen. I should keep following them." He murmured to himself.

Tira turned to face Talim. Seeing her companion covered in blood, she felt a sudden urge to lick her clean. She shook herself. Tira knew about her own preferences, but with Talim of all people. Now THAT was unlikely. No it's just a reaction to the absence of available women, she thought to herself. The day I fall for Talim is the day hell freezes over.

AN: Yes I know this chapters short but I can't make it any longer.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Calibur. Even Namco can do better than this.

AN: As you can tell from my disclaimer, I'm not impressed by my work on this story so far, it feels far to rushed and so I've been putting off updating it.

Chapter 4: First contact

It had been three days since their encounter with the Fu-Ma ninjas and both Tira and Talim were getting close to Nightmare. The fragments they had were resonating intensely and it was clear that they were very close indeed. What neither Talim, nor Tira had done, was to discuss what they were going to do with Soul Edge when they had defeated Nightmare. (Neither of them even allowed the possibility of defeat to enter their minds)

Tira had orders to bring it back in one piece. She would reunite the fragments she had, with the incomplete (but still deadly) Soul Edge and bring it back to base.

Talim on the other hand, intended to purify it and destroy Soul Edge for good.

They hadn't talked about it because, in their hearts, they knew precisely what the other wanted to do. Tira found herself idly wondering what it would feel like to kill Talim, her longstanding nemesis and what it would feel like after she had gone.

Talim, on the other hand, was steeling herself for the inevitable clash, both with Nightmare, and with Tira. Despite the fact that Tira had fought her so many times, she still wasn't sure that she was ready for Tira's death at her hands. There were of course no guarantees that they would both survive destroying Nightmare, much less that Talim would beat Tira. Tira was, after all, an excellent fighter.

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As they approached the bridge where Nightmare was standing, they split up. Tira would approach him from one side, Talim the other. They had figured that their best chance at taking Nightmare down lay in taking him on from two sides.

As Talim approached Nightmare, he turned and glared at her. Talim found herself frozen in fear, as memories of her parents deaths assaulted her.

"Talim, come on!" Tira yelled as Nightmare attacked her. Seeing Talim freeze up, Tira realised she was on her own and was forced to retreat. As she did, she grabbed Talim and dragged her along too.

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"What the hell just happened back there." Tira screamed. "What part of attacking him TOGETHER didn't you GET!?!?!"

"I'm…. sorry." Talim stuttered out.

"YOU'RE SORRY? FAT LOT OF GOOD THAT'LL DO US NOW!" Tira bellowed at Talim angrily.

"I…" Talim began, but Tira cut her off.

"You know what? Forget it. I'll take him down on my own." And with that statement, Tira stormed off.

Talim didn't move, still kneeling down and staring at the ground in shock. She'd lost the battle with Nightmare and she'd never even raised her blade.

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Seven hours later

Talim was still kneeling where Tira had left her, undecided as to her next course of action, when a familiar voice pierced her thoughts.

"Talim!" cried out a young red-headed man as he approached her and embraced her tiny body in an all consuming embrace.

"Yun-Seong." She whispered back.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Calibur. If I did, I'd be much richer than I am now.

AN: To my anonymous reviewer, thanks for your review, it's encouraging to know you liked it enough to read it through to chapter 4.

"You froze?" Yun-Seong snorted in disgust. "Talim I never took you for a weakling." Talim didn't respond. Normally a comment like that would've caused her to snap at the culprit, but since her confrontation with Nightmare, she was full of self-doubts. Sensing weakness, Yun-Seong decided to push his point. "Talim, perhaps it's time for you to think about starting a family, like we discussed? Leaving all of this stuff behind for good?"

"Maybe you're right." Talim replied wistfully and she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Yun-Seong gave her a cocky grin, one she was all too familiar with.

"Course I'm right." He replied.

They began kissing once more, with ever increasing passion. As Yun-Seong began to peel her top away though, she stopped him.

"Not yet." She whispered to him. He looked at her with disappointment. "I want this to be a special moment, not something I'll regret."

"But…" He began but she placed a finger over his lips, a small smile on her face.

"Later." She whispered.

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Tira steadily crept up on the creature Nightmare. Although she wouldn't admit it out loud, she was missing Talim's wind skills right about now, it would've made this attack so much easier. Her mind kept wondering back to her many encounters with the young priestess.

The first time they'd met, Talim had stared her down without so much as a hint of fear in her eyes. The resulting fight had been…exhilarating to say the least. Unlike many of Tira's previous opponents, Talim was a real challenge. Eventually, Tira had been able to jump over Talim and kill her target. But as time went on, Tira had on more than one occasion been beaten by Talim. All in all, Tira had thought Talim worthy of her respect, but after the last attack on Nightmare she didn't think so anymore.

Leaping into the air, Tira launched herself at Nightmare.

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Talim couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in her sheets, trying to go to sleep, but her mind was running at a thousand miles an hour as she went over the course of action she was agreeing to undertake with Yun-Seong. She'd grown up with the priesthood and becoming a priestess had thrilled her to the bone. She loved the excitement of being on a mission and the life or death shaves. Could she really give it all up? And then there was the small subject of Tira.

For some strange reason, Tira kept on dominating Talim's thoughts. Now that WAS a mystery to Talim. They had frequently fought one another and on more than one occasion Tira had almost killed her. She'd never felt the need to dwell on her past encounters before, so why was she doing it now?

Getting up, Talim decided to find Tira and Nightmare. She couldn't be the person Yun-Seong wanted her to be if she didn't resolve this.

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Tira felt her arm vibrate as her ring blade was bounced aside by Nightmare's sword. He swung his sword across and Tira was forced to throw herself back to avoid the blade. Unfortunately for Tira, her hands slipped and her blade flew out of her hands. As Nightmare raised his sword to finish her life, a sudden flash of realisation hit her.

"Talim, I love you." She whispered.

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Talim followed the voices of the wind, steadily leading her towards Tira. Reaching the top of the hill, she saw Nightmare standing over Tira, his sword raised for a killing blow. Feeling a sudden surge of love for Tira, Talim jumped down at the creature, swinging her blades. Nightmare, clearly caught by surprise, was unable to stop her from shattering his sword.

Taking advantage of Nightmare's sudden hesitation, Tira threw herself forward and rugby tackled the huge creature. As he went over, Talim smashed her blades into Nightmare's eyes. Nightmare screamed and exploded, throwing both girls away.

Getting to their feet, Tira and Talim walked up to each other.

"Talim I…" Tira began, but Talim shushed her. Standing on her tiptoes, Talim kissed Tira gently on the lips. After a moments pause, Tira kissed her back. Their kisses became more and more intense. They had finally found love.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Although no-ones likely to get this far, I still have to say I don't own Soul Calibur

Tira gently extracted herself from the sleeping figure of Talim and smiled at her.

"Looks like you win this time." Tira whispered softly to her. Talim grinned at her.

"There'll be other times" She replied.

"You know, we can't ever let anyone know about us. Both sides would kill us."

"We'll see each other around"

Tira grinned. "Till we meet again." She said and ran off.

"Till we meet again." Talim answered, a small smile on her face.


End file.
